Quirky Paris: Louvre Treasure Hunt!

TREASURE HUNT IN PARIS WITH THATMuse

Bonjour from le Louvre! Today we want to propose you a quirky Paris visit, the kind of visits that we like: we are going to explore the Louvre through a treasure hunt.

Our host is THATMuse, a young startup who organizes different treasure hunts in Paris. These Paris scavenger hunts are perfect for families, groups of friends and also can be proposed as team building activities in Paris. This hunt, in particular, is the Louvre Treasure Hunt, also called THATLou.

We meet Sarah (THATMuse) in front of the pyramid of the Louvre, in the 1st Arrondissement of Paris. World in Paris is in competition with Kartik, Gayatri, and Swara, a family from Tennessee visiting Paris for 3 days. This is their very first trip to Paris and they have never been to Louvre before but as you can see in the picture they look very motivated!

After the presentations and a short introduction with interesting facts about le Louvre, we all enter the museum through the glass pyramid for the briefing and the Louvre scavenger hunt.

The Louvre Treasure Hunt principle is very simple:

Teams (2 to 4 people) are given a list of treasures of the Louvre, grouped under a specific topic, that they need to find within a given amount of time (90 mins to 2 hrs). For each artwork found, teams must photograph themselves in front of it to score some points.

Additional THATLou bonus challenges are embedded in the art treasures of the Louvre descriptions, ensuring that hunters read about their treasure. This also makes the Louvre scavenger hunt for kids educational, fun and interactive.

In the end, the team that scores more points wins the competition.

Of course, the hunt comes with some basic rules that everybody needs to respect with no exception. These are the main ones:

» Teams’ only tools on this hunt are the treasures of the Louvre list, a Louvre museum map (hard copy), and (only) one camera per group to take the pictures.

» Teams must stay together at all times.

» No running inside the museum.

» No external help like the internet, GPS or guidebooks. Louvre staff or other visitors cannot help either.

THE LOUVRE SCAVENGER HUNT STARTS!

When the hunt starts, our adversaries go straight to Richelieu wing while we sit for 5 minutes to study the treasures list and the Louvre museum map. We feel WE NEED A STRATEGY. In the end, we decided to concentrate our efforts on the Louvre wing with more treasures to hunt and score the maximum possible points on one artwork (picture + bonus questions) before moving to the next one.

After countless visits to the Louvre, we feel like Louvre pros but our friends do not look scared of us. Who is going to win THATLou?

During the first hour we move smoothly through the different Louvre halls and the first artworks (the biggest ones, he hee) are easy to find. You can find some of World in Paris pictures with the artworks on the slideshow below. However, some of the bonus questions are difficult and we don’t find all the treasure hunt clues on the information panels. We should have read THATMuse’s blog before the treasure hunt at Louvre, which (we will see it later) is full of hints for the hunt!

The second hour is less effective. We are tired (too many Louvre halls, the museum is huge!) and the first frictions between us appear:

– Let’s go left!

– No, it’s right. Look at the map!

– I know the Louvre better than you, I say left!

I should have eaten a second pain au chocolat before starting the hunt … 🙁

Two hours later we arrive at the meeting point with a good amount of artworks checked. The final count of points starts:

World in Paris 530 points

Tennessee family 531 points

Damn, we have lost!!

Apparently, their strategy worked better than ours and the victory is for them. Congratulations!

After the Louvre scavenger hunt, teams can stay in the Louvre as long as they want to see more of the galleries. Instead, we will prefer to enjoy the nice weather outside: defeats are less bitter under the sun of Paris …

LOUVRE TREASURE HUNT – INFO & TIPS

» Louvre Treasure hunts are organized by THATMuse. You can check all their proposals (they have other treasure hunts in Paris and London) and book your Louvre Treasure hunt on their website

» The price for the Louvre Classic Hunt (THATLou) is 25€ per person. This price does not include the Louvre entrance fee.

» This is a great way to see the Louvre museum for kids. But THATLou is flexible and fun for all ages, with or without kids.

» THATLou is offered in English, French, and Spanish. The same languages are proposed for THATRue, the treasure hunt in the streets of Paris.

» When you book your THATLou you can choose a subject. There are subjects such as beauty + the bestiary, love hunt, corporate hunt and many more.

» There is no Louvre dress code but we recommend to wear comfortable shoes, you are going to walk a lot! We also suggest bringing your own water and a couple of snacks.

» There is no best way to visit the Louvre but if after the hunt you want to see the Louvre in a more conventional, way have a look at our Louvre Museum Guide with all the info & tips for visiting the Louvre like a pro.

THATLou – FINAL THOUGHTS

We had a blast! THATMuse’s Louvre Treasure hunt is an original and funny way to discover (or re-discover!) the Louvre. In addition, we learned many interesting things related to the treasures while playing so the hunts are also educational and interactive. This is a fun activity to do in Paris with kids or without kids. It is also a great activity for adults without kids and we will be happy to recommend this treasure hunt in Paris to our friends.

Have you been to the Louvre Museum? Would you like to see the Louvre on a treasure hunt?

Disclaimer: we would like to thank THATMuse for inviting us to their THATLou, their treasure hunt at Louvre. As always, all opinions remain our own.

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Paris is beautiful. However, I think treasurer hunts are not for me. I am very competitive and I might focus on the hunt and forget about sightseeing! Haha! I usually don’t enjoy myself when I am on a mission. Hahaha! Glad you had a great time.

WorldInParis

10/25/2017 at 7:55 am

I understand you Kirstie, we were also very competitive! However you can stay at Louvre as long as you want after the hunt so you can spend 6 more hours visiting the Louvre in a more conventional way 😉

WorldInParis

It sounds like a good way to make culture and eduction fun. I love the Louvre, particularly the one time I was there first thing in the morning and practically had it to myself. The time I waited two hours in line, not so much. What I love about this tour is that you’re not just seeking out the works of art, you’re learning something about them. Sorry you lost though haha.

WorldInParis

I LOVE scavenger hunts, so my next trip to the Louvre, this will be a must for me! Too bad that you lost by only one point! But the experience is the important part, right? Thanks for sharing an amazing experience!

What a fantastic concept! It sounds like you had a blast. I can see how you would have been exhausted after the hunt though with all that walking. I can’t think of a more fun and memorable way to visit the Louvre.

WorldInParis

10/24/2017 at 10:09 am

Totally agree! Sporty, cultural and funny, that was our last visit to Louvre!

WorldInParis

such a great idea with the treasure hunt and a really a great way to explore Paris, rather than just doing the standard routes. My Brother loves Paris and visits a lot, I’ll mention this to him, he would love to do something like this.

WorldInParis

I hated the Louvre, largely because it is so big and the Mona Lisa, which is a big draw is massively over-rated in my opinion. That said, I love this idea as a way to make a visit more strategic and I would be tempted to return to do something like this. I wonder if they do them in other locations.

WorldInParis

10/22/2017 at 9:10 pm

A pity that you did not have a great experience at Louvre, maybe this hunt would help to change your mind 🙂

OMG, what a great idea! Why didn’t I think of that? 😉 The Louvre is way too big to visit in one go, so the idea of breaking it up and using the space / collection differently is really appealing. I come from a museum background, and although I love the quiet and contemplative aspects of art and museums, I realise that these days, we have to be realistic about how to engage people with art – and this is one of them!

WorldInParis

10/22/2017 at 9:12 pm

It is great that Louvre can be seen in so many different ways. This can help kids or people not that fan of art but who still want to visit the Louvre to have a great experience. Don’t you think so?

WorldInParis

This sounds like such a fun idea for exploring Paris in a new way and I can see that it’s especially great for kids, to give them something more interactive when visiting sites like the Louvre!

WorldInParis

10/22/2017 at 9:13 pm

Totally agree. But there were no kids with us and we had lots of fun as well 🙂

Megan Jerrard

10/22/2017 at 4:53 am

I love the idea of exploring the Louvre through a treasure hunt! What a fun way to engage with the exhibits! Haha I do like that they have basic rules though which say no running inside the museum – I can only imagine how frantic that would get – some people are very competative!

Sounds like a really fun day despite the loss lol – I would almost rather lose by a long shot than miss out by one :D! What a fun way to explore the Lourve 🙂

WorldInParis

10/22/2017 at 9:18 pm

I am sure some visitors were thinking that we were weird tourists because of the quirky selfies we took. I cannot imagine the show if we started running through the Louvre halls, ha haa

First of all, one pain au chocolat is never enough, Louvre or no Louvre! Second, what a fun way to (re)discover the Louvre! It’s so big and you really do need a focus and a strategy. How fun to do it with a scavenger hunt. Plus. I can imagine how engaging it is for families with kids. Paris seems to make my travel list every year so I’d love to try out the THATLou scavenger hunt.

WorldInParis

10/22/2017 at 9:15 pm

You will love it! Plus there are different hunt topics so all the people find something they like 🙂

WorldInParis

First of all, love that you all are a team writing together. And love the painting up top! About the post it’s such a fun and unique way to explore a museum. Hopefully we get to go to Paris someday in the near future!

WorldInParis

10/22/2017 at 9:14 pm

Hope you will make it! And don’t miss the Louvre (conventional visit or quirky visit), it is worth it!

WorldInParis

We only had a few days in Paris and eventually decided against going to the Louvre, but I totally regret it. The scavenger hunt sounds like so much fun. Pity you ended up losing, but still it must have been great to see all the different arts.

WorldInParis

10/21/2017 at 4:58 pm

We have been to Louvre many times but yes, it was a very cool excuse to go once again and have a great time. Maybe there will be a next time for you to Louvre 😉

Your tips could not have been more timely for me. Heading over there in Feb and need those simple tips that you have suggested!

WorldInParis

10/21/2017 at 4:57 pm

Thanks! I wish you a great trip to Paris!

BONJOUR, WE 'RE WORLD IN PARIS!

We are independent travelers and restless souls with a passion for our own city, the City of Lights. Quirky explorers with a preference for the local side of Paris and its less known sights, we are continuously looking for new ideas to enjoy the best of Paris & beyond. Keep clicking for first-hand information, best tips & tons of inspiration to enjoy Paris Like a Local.